St. Andrew’s is a tiny 13th century Church, and is the final resting place of George Herbert (1593-1633), celebrated in the Church of England’s lectionary, on 27th February, as a priest and poet.
St. Andrew’s seats only about 30 people, so parties visiting should therefore be in small groups of no more than 30 in number. A selection of postcards is on sale in the Church, which is open during daylight hours every day.
Despite several periods of renovation and restoration, this lovely little church retains its atmosphere.
Of particular interest are the plaque marking the burial place of George Herbert; a modern altar frontal and two sets of vestments inspired by Herbert’s poem The Flower; and the 1933 west window depicting Herbert and his life-long friend Nichals Ferrar.
On the opposite side of Lower Road is the Old Rectory, where Herbert lived from 1630 to 1633. This house is now in private hands, and is NOT open to the public.
In the grounds of the Churchyard, there is a Medlar Tree, planted in 1993, to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of George Herbert.
The Altar Frontal was designed by Jane Lemon and is based upon Herbert‘s poem “The Flower”. The poem itself is to be found in a frame on the south wall, in caligraphy by Mary Hargrave, a parishioner.
The ‘Festal’ vestments were also designed by Jane Lemon to complement the frontal, and were dedicated in 1993. The unusual colouring means that they can be used all the year round, rather than being kept for a single season.
The memorial window to George Herbert, was installed in 1933, to mark the 300th anniversary of his death. The right hand light shows Herbert holding his violin, in front of Salisbury Cathedral, while the left hand light shows his friend and publisher Nicholas Ferrar.
follow this link to find out more about the windows
For more information see here
Bemerton parish 